Expedited response to unsafe conditions: an academic health system approach

The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments require nonconforming safety event identification, targeted intervention, and evaluation of interventional effectiveness. Without a standardized reporting structure, risk and safety teams will experience ongoing challenges with situational awareness and mitigation strategies in the workplace.

A 15-minute risk and safety huddle was initiated. The cadence was set to daily for the first iteration of huddle integration. A subsequent cadence was set to twice weekly, with a Microsoft Teams channel for streamlined communication across all laboratory settings.

Huddling resulted in an averaged time savings of 14 days (approximately 2 weeks), measured from event to safety report. An observed reduction of 17.6% in employee-reported occupational safety events was noted between quarters 1 and 2 of 2023 and between quarters 1 and 2 of 2024, with a reduction in overall event spending ($458.50 [19.2%]) noted in 4 of the 5 measured safety event categories. An annual reduction in spending ($9568.09 [49.8%]) across all 5 measured safety event categories was noted in the 2022 (preinterventional) and 2023 (postinterventional) time frame.

Laboratories should consider the establishment of a dedicated safety committee and cadenced huddles because such tools are effective for improving safety and communicating occupational hazards.